Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025

Why in News? 

The Global Report on Food Crises 2025 was published recently, highlighting urgent food insecurity trends. According to this report, the situation of hunger and malnutrition in crisis-affected regions has become more severe, and there has also been an increase in global hunger.

What is the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025?

• Introduction:
  • The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) is an annual report that presents an in-depth analysis of the food insecurity situation around the world.
  • This report focuses on populations suffering from severe hunger and malnutrition.
  • Its objective is to identify the causes, regions, and trends that lead to food crises, helping policymakers and relief agencies to take timely action.
• Institution:
  • The report is produced by the Global Network Against Food Crises, a key international alliance addressing hunger.
  • It is supported by major international organizations like the FAO, WFP, European Union, UNICEF, UNHCR, IFAD, USAID, and the World Bank.
• Objective:
  • The primary objective of this report is to ensure improvement in the availability, nutrition, and access to food at the global level.
  • GNAFC’s vision is that ending hunger requires not just relief, but also long-term solutions.
  • The report provides guidance for policy-making, resource allocation, and crisis preparedness based on scientific data.
• Structure:
  • GNAFC operates through a multi-stakeholder framework.
  • It includes a technical support unit and implementation at the country, regional, and global levels.
  • The network works on analysis, monitoring, financial investments, and capacity building.
  • It follows the HDP nexus model, which integrates humanitarian response, development, and peace.

Key Points of the Global Report on Food Crises 2025

• Severe Food Crisis: The report states that the world has faced serious global food insecurity for six years. In 2024, 295.3 million people in 53 countries were affected by hunger and malnutrition, which is 13.7 million more than in 2023.
• Conflict and Violence: Ongoing conflicts in 20 nations have worsened food insecurity, the report reveals.
  Countries like Nigeria, Sudan, and Myanmar are facing famine-like conditions where millions are struggling for food. Food availability is extremely low in these regions.
• Climate Change: Climate change has made the food crisis more complex. Extreme heat, floods, droughts, and the El Niño effect have affected crop production in many countries in Southern Africa.
  •  Due to climate events, 96.1 million people in 18 countries are facing severe food insecurity.
• Economic Crisis: Financial instability and inflation have impacted 59.4 million people in 15 countries, making it difficult for them to afford food.
  • Job loss, income reduction, and rising food prices have pushed the poor into crisis.
• Cuts in Humanitarian Aid: The sudden cut in humanitarian aid by the USA has severely affected relief work in Afghanistan, Sudan, Haiti, Yemen, and Ethiopia.
  • In 2025, food aid funding is expected to drop by 45%, putting 14 million children at risk.
• Systemic Failures: In countries with weak governance, the food crisis is more intense.
  Political instability, corruption, and poor health systems hinder food security programs, while lack of accurate data makes monitoring and improvement difficult.
• Migration: In 2024, 95.8 million displaced people lived in countries affected by food crises, with 75% internally displaced.
  • Conflict, natural disasters, and hunger have forced them to leave their homes, increasing pressure on refugee camps.
• Rising Mortality: The severe food crisis has worsened malnutrition among children and pregnant women.
  • Child malnutrition rose to 30.4 million in 2024 across 10 hardest-hit countries, up from 26.9 million the previous year. 
  • Malnutrition remains a major cause of child mortality.
• Gender Inequality: The deepest impact of the food crisis has been on women.
  • UN Women reports that women and girls make up 60% of those facing chronic hunger.
  • Women have limited access to land, aid, and resources, which worsens their condition.

Suggestions to Deal with Food Crisis

• Emergency Assistance: To deal with a food crisis, it is important to combine immediate relief with long-term development. Only giving emergency food is not a permanent solution. Investment in development, especially in rural areas where most food-insecure people live, is necessary. It helps people become economically strong even after the emergency ends.
• Investment in Emergency Agriculture: Promoting agriculture as emergency aid is one of the most effective and low-cost solutions. For every one rupee invested, there is a return of seven rupees. It provides farmers with food, income, and stability. This investment helps save the livelihoods of rural families.
• Partnership and Global Cooperation: Solving a food crisis is possible only when UN agencies, governments, NGOs, and affected communities work together. Initiatives like the Global Network Against Food Crises can help share data, expertise, and resources to take strong steps.
• Local Food Systems: It is necessary to build profitable local food systems and nutrition services. Since nearly 70% of rural households rely on farming, improving its management can help reduce hunger and malnutrition. Therapeutic feeding, enriching food with nutrients, and promoting diverse diets help address the nutrition crisis.
• Early Warning Systems: Strong early warning systems help detect risks on time and deliver help quickly. For example, in Somalia during 2022–23, such a system helped prevent famine.
• Comprehensive Food Security Plan: At national and regional levels, use data related to agriculture and livelihoods to identify vulnerable groups. This helps understand hunger better and make aid more effective. At present, agriculture receives just 3% of the total emergency food aid budget.
• Climate Resilience: By increasing agricultural productivity, making supply chains resistant to conflict, and adopting climate-smart farming, food insecurity can be reduced. This also helps in economic recovery.

Important Government Schemes for Food Security and Nutrition in India

• Mission Poshan 2.0: It presents a comprehensive and effective strategy to reduce malnutrition. This mission focuses on meeting the nutrition needs of mothers, children, and adolescents. It improves coordination among different departments and schemes.
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): ICDS is the foundation of child development and nutrition. It offers healthy food, medical checkups, vaccines, and education to expectant women, nursing mothers, and kids. Nutrition gardens under this scheme offer children healthy food.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): This scheme gives financial support to pregnant women so they can get better healthcare and nourish their babies after birth. It helps protect the health of both mother and child.
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme: This scheme gives nutritious food to school children to reduce hunger and improve school attendance. It supports the physical and mental development of children and lowers the risk of malnutrition.
• Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG): It includes health checkups, nutrition education, and ensures proper diets to keep adolescent girls healthy.
• Mother’s Absolute Affection (MAA) Programme: This programme promotes a loving bond between mothers and newborns. It gives correct information about breastfeeding and infant nutrition so children grow strong and healthy.
• Nutrition Gardens: Nutrition gardens are used in rural and urban areas to provide healthy food to children.